Dugongs Research Paper

Above is a map highlighting where dugongs are currently located in the world. They can be found from East Africa to Australia, including the Pacific and Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. The largest population of dugongs are found in Australian waters. Specifically in the northern part of Australia, between Shark Bay and Moreton Bay. Dugongs tend to live in warm and shallow coastal waters. Large numbers can also be found along inshore islands and in shallow mangrove channels. They live where seagrass is plentiful as that is their main source of food and nutrition. They usually inhabit waters at an average depth of around 10m and sporadically dive down to up to 39m to feed. The activity the dugongs are doing determines the habitat. For example, for calving a potential or suitable habitat would be the shallow estuaries and tidal sandbanks. Whereas for mating, they can be found in lekking habitats.

Physical Description

They are solid and large animals with a flattened and broad tail at the end and paddle-like flippers at the front. Their powerful tail at the end of their bodies resembles the tail of a whale. They have plumpish and heavyset bodies due to the thick fat covering them. Dugongs have quite a large snout which is rounded over, ending in a crevasse/cleft. The cleft is a muscular lip which assists them in foraging for seagrass. Dugongs have enlarged incisors which are found in their down-tipped jaw. To locate food they have sensory bristles on their upper lip. Their bodies are also covered in bristles. Their skin colour is a brownish-grey and varies when algae grows on it. Dugongs have very sensitive ears which have no lobes or flaps. it is believed they have good hearing to relieve their poor eyesight. Two nostrils are located at the top of the snout for ventilation when they go to the surface to